Straight answers
The questions people actually ask, answered the way we'd answer them across a table.
Are you a business broker?
No. We don't list businesses for sale, we don't represent buyers or sellers as a broker, and we don't take transaction commissions. We're advisors: we help you think clearly about valuation, diligence, structure, and integration. If your deal needs a licensed broker, we'll tell you — business-broker licensing varies by state, and your attorney can confirm what your transaction requires.
Are you a law firm? Is this legal advice?
No, and no. Nothing on this site or in our work is legal advice. Deal documents — purchase agreements, notes, leases — need a licensed attorney, and we'll say so at every step where it matters. Think of us as the advisor who makes sure you walk into your lawyer's office prepared instead of confused.
How much does it cost?
Engagement fees are quoted in writing before any work starts — no invented price list, no surprise percentages. The quote depends on scope, which we define together on a free intro call. If the scope changes later, the quote changes in writing first. Full policy: Pricing.
How long does an engagement take?
It depends on the deal, not on us. A focused diligence review can run days; a seller-readiness engagement can run weeks or months. Your written quote states the timeline, and if it slips, you hear about it first.
Have you closed deals before?
Merge Lane was founded in 2026 — we don't claim a deal history we don't have, and you won't find invented case studies on this site. What the founder brings is a career in competitive intelligence and commercial strategy: taking apart how big deals get done, what breaks them, and what the numbers actually say. We'd rather earn trust slowly than manufacture it.
I've never bought a business before. Is this for me?
Especially for you. First-time buyers make the most expensive mistakes — overpaying, under-diligencing, and signing financing they don't understand. Buyer readiness exists for exactly this: define your criteria, learn what diligence actually looks like, and walk in prepared.
Do you work outside Atlanta?
Yes. We're based in Atlanta, Georgia, and most advisory work happens over video and shared documents — diligence doesn't care about zip codes. If a deal genuinely needs boots on the ground, we'll discuss it on the intro call.
Is my information confidential?
Yes. What you share in an intro call or engagement stays between us — we're happy to sign an NDA before you share anything sensitive. Financials, deal terms, and your identity are never used in marketing, examples, or “case studies.”
What if I want to walk away mid-engagement?
Then you walk away. The written scope defines how fees handle an early exit — typically you pay for work completed, nothing more. And if our advice is “don't do this deal,” that's included in the fee you already agreed to. We don't get paid more when you close.
Do you also help after the deal closes?
Yes — that's the post-merger integration planning service. The first hundred days after closing decide whether the deal was worth it: people, customers, systems, and cash, each with an owner and a checklist. See Services.